Toby B

Toby is our uber-busy events editor for Mommy Poppins LA. Feel free to email Toby about events for our LA area calendar.

Latest posts by Toby

Fun & Free Things to Do with LA Kids this Weekend: Kid's Film Fest, Doo Dah & Puppet March, April 27 - 28

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/25/2013 - 3:32am

It doesn't start until Monday and I’m already stressing. I speak of course of Screen Free Week, in which parents are encouraged to turn off (TVs, Blackberries, iPads) and tune in (to the great big world out there). Surviving a week without screens, is that even possible?

Here’s my suggestion: get as much screen time in as you can this weekend. To get you started, may I suggest the Los Angeles Children's Film Festival? We caught a few of the films last weekend and there is much to amuse and inspire young film-goers. To give you an idea of what you’re in for, check out the reviews from our kid critics, (they say it much better than we ever could!) And be sure to buy your festival tickets through our links - a hefty chunk of change will be donated to the school of your choice!

There’s one screen usage even the most avowed Luddite couldn’t begrudge, and that’s logging onto Mommy Poppins. (How else are you going to find the ultimate scoop on fun activities for your family?) So friend us on Facebook, sign up for emails and tweets, or go old school and type in our URL; Mommy Poppins is here to help you through. To get you started, keep reading for our favorite picks for this weekend…

Fun & Free Things to Do Earth Day Weekend with LA Kids: Books, CicLAvia, and Mother Earth: April 20- 21

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 3:08am

We here at Mommy Poppins are all about mothers, and this weekend, we’re celebrating the biggest mother of them all: Mother Earth. We are blessed to live in a region full of outdoor destinations, many of which host Earth Day festivities. Naturally, we’ve compiled a guide to the best Earth Day celebrations.

What’s more natural than kids and garbage? Earth Day ushers in the season of Sanitation Open Houses. Kids can tour sanitation yards, attend recycling fairs, visit landfills, and even ride in a garbage truck.

Oh, mama, wait til you read what our kid critics have come up with! Check out their reviews of some of the films in the upcoming Los Angeles Children's Film Festival. Be sure to leave comments on your favorites: the critics with the most comments win exciting prizes. (Plus, if you use the links in their reviews to purchase your festival tickets the school of your choice gets a donation!)

And, of course, our thoughts are with the people of Boston and now Waco. We are inspired by the resilience of these communities, and by the courage and strength of those who run towards the disasters to assist others.

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend…

Fun & Free Things to Do with LA Kids this Weekend: Butterflies, Chumash & Kites, April 13 - 14

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/11/2013 - 4:39am

This weekend, there are two types of people: Folks who’ve finished their taxes and are free to party like it’s April 16, and folks who are filling out forms down to the wire. (Perhaps we should make a third category for the LaLaLa-I-can’t-hear-you April 15 denialists.) Regardless of which camp you fall into, you're sure to appreciate the Tax Day Freebies we've found.

For those of you with an open calendar, there's plenty to find cheer in this weekend. The butterflies are returning to the Natural History Museum, the Chumash are returning to Malibu, old friends are returning to Disneyland, my tax return is due AAACK. Happy thoughts. Think happy thoughts. Free Cinnabon. Aaah.

If your tax bill has been a burden, maybe it’s time put your kids to work. We’re looking for a few good critics to review the short films of the Los Angeles Children's Film Festival. No experience needed, just an interesting point of view.

Keep reading for our favorite picks for the weekend, and to find out about the freebies.

Fun & Free Things to Do with LA Kids this Weekend: Ren Faire, Burbank Parade & Puppet Festival, April 6 - 7

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 04/04/2013 - 4:45am

Thumbs Up at the Fowler? I give it two thumbs up!
The Alvin Ailey celebration at the Music Center? It's got a good beat; you can dance to it!
Kids Run the Bases at Dodger Stadium? An out-of-the-park home run!

What? You think you can do better? Sigh. Everyone's a critic. No really, I mean that. Everyone's a critic. Especially kids. (If you doubt that, ask mine for a review of my cooking prowess). (Double sigh.) If you think your kid has what it takes to be the next Siskel & Ebert / Leonard Maltin/ Pauline Kael, you should check out our Kid Critic opportunity. We're looking for a few kids who call 'em as they see 'em, to review short films that are being shown at the the Los Angeles Children's Film Festival. Fame and fortune (or at least a free seat at the movies) could be theirs.

Now give us your opinion of this weekend's highlights...

Fun & Free Things to Do with LA Kids this Weekend: Cherry Blossoms, Teaching Zoo, and Swallows Day Parade, March 23 - 24

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 03/21/2013 - 3:21am

Ah, Spring has sprung in the City of Angels. This season always fills me with a sense of anticipation: for the flowers that will bloom, the longer days and sweeter weather, and the hours that will need to be filled while school is on break. Luckily, Mommy Poppins has you covered, whether you're looking for some awesome spring break camps, or for fun activities you can do as a family.

Why is next week different from all other weeks? Well, for one thing, Passover starts on Monday. We've got some fun ideas for Passover activities including the latest exhibit at the Skirball, which allows visitors to (literally!) walk in the footsteps of the historical characters in the Exodus tale. On a journey that long you're gonna need snacks; our Passover Bakery guide will lead you to some of the tastiest unleavened treats in Los Angeles. (As a bonus, did you know that many Passover treats are gluten-free?)

But one hour this weekend is going to be the most different of all. Saturday at 8:30pm is Earth Hour, a world-wide event in which we are encouraged to turn off our lights to draw attention to climate change and our need to protect our planet. Sounds like a good time to go outside and look at the stars! (Camping, anyone?)

Read on for our favorite picks for this weekend …

Fun & Free Things to Do with LA Kids this Weekend: Kites, Klezmer and Oz the Great, March 9 - 10

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 03/07/2013 - 3:34am

Good news, bad news folks. Good news: spring is in the air, and I know this because we are about to Spring Forward. Daylight savings time begins this Sunday, and that means sundown is later! Bad news, we lose an hour of sleep this weekend. But who has time to sleep when there’s so much to do? This weekend we can hang with whales, woofers, and a wizard, prepare for summer whether our plans are local or abroad, listen to music and make some of our own, learn how to live green and go fly a kite.

Another thing putting a spring in our step, (an Irish jig to be exact), is the upcoming St. Patrick’s Day. Though the holiday isn’t until next Sunday, you can get an early start at this weekend’s Irish Fair (or Tuesday’s hunt for the Leprechaun’s gold). Even the Easter Bunny is starting his rounds. And the surest sign that Spring is upon us: the looming specter of Spring Break. We've found some of the coolest camps to entertain your kids.

Read on for our favorite picks for this weekend …

Character Breakfasts at Disney's El Capitan: All That and a Side of Bacon

Submitted by Toby B on Mon, 03/04/2013 - 2:18pm

El Capitan is already our favorite place in LA to see a kids’ movie; but sometimes you want to go that extra mile. Or in this case, that extra meal. Character breakfasts at the Disney Soda Fountain & Studio Store turn a day at the movies into a full-fledged special event. Kids get to spend some one-on-one time with a beloved Disney princess (or pirate or monster) and take home a commemorative photo - plus the whole family gets to fill their tummies.

Fun & Free Things to Do with LA Kids this Weekend: Whales, Seuss and Odysseo

Submitted by Toby B on Thu, 02/28/2013 - 3:24am

There is no greater star in the children’s literary world than Dr. Seuss (aka Theodor Geisel). His March 2 birthday is honored as National Read Across America Day, and his stories are being read all around town. So grab your well-worn copy of Cat in the Hat and get ready for a wild weekend. Oh the places you'll go... unless you need to take the 405, because they're doing that shut-down-the-freeway thing again (with a cute "keep two lanes open to create false hope" twist).

This is also a big weekend for whales (who are lucky because the 405 closure doesn't affect them). The gentle giants are feted in celebrations at Dana Point and Palos Verdes, and might even get a shout-out at the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium's anniversary fest.

Also apparently unaffected by the 405 is February, because it done hightailed it outta here, which means it's time for our March Go List! One big recommendation this month is Cavalla: Odysseo (read our review of opening night)!

Read on for our favorite picks for this weekend …